Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1887-04-14
For the Ellsworth American.
The Pilot Question Again.
Mr.. Editor

Mr.. Editor:
| saw two articles in the AMERICAN writ
ten by Captains Kane and Holt on com
pulsory pilotage--a matter which every
ship master and owner ought to take
great interest in, to have ii abolished. The
laws regulating pilotage in most of the
states are an outrage on American shipping
| have made eight voyages from New YORK
to Porto Rico and back to New York and
Boston since the sth day Of February 1856,
and the pilotage has amounted to nine
hundred and fifty dollars for services
which could have performed myself a>
| consider myself competent to take my
vessel in and out of any port from Cape
Ilatteras to Cape Elizabeth and many of
the southern ports.
While was in the coal trade. was not
compelled To take pilot. and did not use
anv NV vessel then usually drew one
foot more water as she was loaded deep
er than in the West India trade l. a ship
worth any less under a license than under
register: The United States Govern
ment gives a shipma>tcT pilot license To
pilot hi~ own ship in the coa>twi>c trade:
but A. soon a. his ship goes and comes
from foreign port he il compelled to
take pilot In every state on the seaboard,
except Maine Are there any more vessels
lost now in the state of Maine than when
the compulsory pilotage was in force;
Last April was coming from Porto Rico
with q cargo of sugaE draw ing eighteen
feet OF water. | passed Barncgat and
was keeping close in shore to make smooth
water H. Hc were running under steam
Pilot boat No. % WAS standing in shor";
the wind was very light at the time
and he was not making much hcadwav
Seeing he was not going 10 catch u he
out boat and commenced 10 pull for
u When hc was ahcam or abreast Of u
he was a half mile away-hc commenced
to swing hi~ hat, and kept on. but heard
nothing Two days after arrived was
presented with bill of S74.34 for pilot
age from sea to dock: and the owners had
to pay or have a law suit. In August
ls>G. | was going out of New York in the
night with 4 pilot on board, bound for the
West Indies somehow | was not On
deck at the time we got afoul Of two
other vessels. Mt anchor did some damage
and had To 20 back had ia pay damages
IL the other vessels $50: the damage To
my vessel was sl9o: my pilo'agc amount
ed to S29. 49, When wc anchored at stat
en- Island the pilot left and | took my own
vessel out myself when | got repaired.
| have not seen that pilot since. That
was all the satisfaction got. but | could
have had him suspended for three months,
but instead of going to Sing Sing, he could
20 to Conev Island If he chose to.
| have entered New York harbor sever
could be found outside Of Sandy Hook
hut A. soon a. the weather got fine there
were plenty of them. our government
has been To some expense in building jet
ties at the mouth of the Mississippi river.
Ia December l>-6 il cost me $50 10 20 in
and out of that pier besides | paid 50 for
pilot up and down the river from sea %
the head of the pier. No vessel can get
ashore The $50 | consider the pilots
robbed from my vessel | could cite sew
cral cases a, aggravating A. those men
toned and 50 can every man that ever
went master OF a vessel. have read an
article about the hard>hip> Of the Sandy
Hook pilots | want some one To- explain
to me if they have il any rougher when
they are out than our fishermen or coast
ers, when they are caught out II there
are any hardships for pilots, it must be in
some corner beer shop. for they are very
plentiful there in rough weather and they
can see gale coming further than the
best navigator that ever walked a ships
deck. In New York harbor, on Bedloe'S
Island, there stands a monument. | have
heard it said it was put there to enl@hten
the world But every ship coming from
foreign ports to see that monument has TO
pay from IA to Is feet, IS. IS per foot, draft
of water: from Is to y feet S4l3 per
foot u feet and upwards. SIS. per foot
draft Of water a very heavy toll 10 pay
to get enlightened but think some Of our
law makers ought to sit awhile where
they can look at it night and day, until
they get enlightened enough to do away
with the compulsory pilotage. l will vote
every time to abolish the toll gates of our
American ports.
W \. FREETHY,
Steamship Jeanie.
New York, Mar. %, -,